The contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 152367/2000, filed May 24, 2000 in Japan, is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-profile managing apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-profile managing apparatus which is used in conjunction with a plurality of computers connected via a network and is adapted to unify a plurality of profilers which differ from one another in terms of access protocol and data expression scheme.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term xe2x80x9cprofilerxe2x80x9d means a data storage device or data storage program for storing service setting data and personal data which are necessary for providing services through a network to users who wish to receive the services by use of, for example, information terminals connected to the network in such a manner that each user is provided with customized service. The data storage device or data storage program is referred to in order to provide such customized service. The present invention encompasses cases in which a plurality of services and a plurality of profilers are present on a single user""s terminal, and the plurality of services are provided to the user.
Conventionally, when a service providing program provides each user with customized service which is suited to the user""s preference, as shown in FIG. 9, different profilers 1, 2, . . . , n are prepared for respective services 1, 2, . . . , n; and each profiler 1, 2, . . . , n manages setting data of the corresponding service. The relationship between a service and the profiler used by the service corresponds to the relationship between an application program which operates on a computer and an initial setting file therefor.
In general, each user selectively uses a plurality of services in accordance with intended purpose, and among them, an increasing number of services (in particular, network services) are standardized in terms of setting data required to receive services. Further, in an increasing number of cases, for different services, information elements which are partially common among the services are used as setting data. Examples of information elements which are used in common among different applications include a mail address and phone number of a user; addresses of various servers such as a web proxy, a mail server, and a news server; a web bookmark; and an address book.
Conventionally, profilers which store setting data for respective services are provided independent of one another. Therefore, whenever a user wishes to start use of a new service, the user must input setting data. Further, when the user wishes to change setting data which are used in common among a plurality of services, the corresponding information elements in profilers used by the plurality of services must be changed individually.
An object of the present invention is to unify a plurality of profilers provided independently for a plurality of services and to unify an interface of access protocols and data expression schemes, while minimizing influence on existing services and profilers, to thereby reduce the burdens imposed on users and service providers in relation to management of service setting data and personal data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-profile managing apparatus as aforementioned.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for multi-profile managing as aforementioned.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a program recording medium recording a program to realize a multi-profile managing apparatus as aforementioned.
Still a further of the present invention is to provide a computer system which enables access from a plurality of service to a plurality of profilers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method which enables access from a plurality of service to a plurality of profilers.
A multi-profile managing apparatus of the present invention is connected a plurality of profilers which are different type from one another, and comprises: a unified access unit accepting an access request to any of the plurality of profiler according to an access protocol determined for each of a plurality of service; a name managing unit converting a data element name designated in the access request to information indicating a real storage location within the profiler; and a profile access unit accessing the profiler on the basis of the information indicating the real storage location obtained by the name managing unit.
A method for multi-profile managing of the present invention manages a plurality of profilers which are a different type from one another, and comprises: accepting an access request to a profiler from any of services by a unified access interface corresponding to an access protocol determined for the service; converting a data element name designated in the access request to information indicating a real storage location within the profiler on the basis of data-element correspondence data registered in advance; and accessing the correspondence profiler on the basis of the information indicating the real storage location obtained through the conversion, by use of an profile access interface corresponding to the access protocol to the profiler.
A program recording medium of the present invention recording a program which realizes a multi-profile managing apparatus, and causes a computer to perform: processing to accept an access request to a profiler from any of services in accordance with an access protocol determined for the service; processing to convert a data element name designated in the access request to information indicating a real storage location within the profiler; and processing to access the profiler on the basis of the information indicating the real storage location.
A computer system of the present invention comprises: a plurality of profilers which are a different type from one another; a plurality of services; and a multi-profile managing apparatus being provided between the plurality of profilers and the plurality of services. And, in the system, the multi-profile managing apparatus comprises as aforementioned.
A method of the present invention for accessing from a plurality of services to a plurality of profilers comprises: generating an access request to one of the plurality of profilers; converting a data element name designated in the access request to information indicating a real storage location within the profiler on the basis of data-element correspondence data registered in advance, the access request being accepted by a unified access interface corresponding to an access protocol determined for the service; and accessing the corresponding profiler on the basis of the information indicating the real storage location obtained through the conversion, by use of an profile access interface corresponding to the access protocol to the profiler.
These, together with other objects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully described and claimed hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.